In The Beginning
by CelestialSonata7
Summary: And the Lord said, "It is not good that man should be alone. . ." - Genesis 2:18. A story of how four boys formed an unbreakable bond. No Slash.
1. Chapter 1: A Knight's Tale

**Author's note: Hey, this is my first story so please be gentle! I tried to make the first four chapter titles like stories (The Tale of. . . The legend. . .etc.). This title is my favorite 'cause it's actually a movie title. The movie itself wasn't that great in my opinion but still, the title was perfect so I used it. :)**

**Sorry in advance if anything seems off or the characters don't seem right. Again, this is my first story so I'm just starting. Any criticism and advice would be greatly appreciated, to help me get better. :) Now, please enjoy my take on how the four boys of Big Time Rush became friends!**

**No slash! Just friendship! Friendship is the best thing ever!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

A Knight's Tale

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* He rolled over on his stomach and slammed his hand down on the 'snooze' button unnecessarily hard, then laid there for a moment, letting his arm droop over the edge of his bed. Finally, he slowly opened his eyes. '9:15 a.m.' All realization came flooding back to him and he shot up. "It's Saturday!" The 8-year-old screamed as he flew the covers off and jumped out of bed. He quickly got dressed, bundling up layer after layer, then ran to his closet and slid the door open. He grabbed his skates by the tied laces, flung them over his shoulder and sped out of his room and down the stairs.

In the kitchen, his mom was already making breakfast while his baby sister, only 3 years old, was sitting in her booster seat with a bowl of oatmeal in front of her. He ran past them to the front door and slid his skates off his shoulder onto the ground. Then he sat down on the floor and started putting his boots on.

"Good morning sweetie." His mom called from over her shoulder.

"Hi mom! Are you ready to go?" He asked anxiously.

"Whoa whoa, slow down there kiddo. You haven't even had breakfast yet!" She said as she set a plate of pancakes on the table.

"I'm not hungry."

She shot him a death glare only a mother could achieve. "Kendall." She said.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine." He whined back. He sat down dramatically hard and started shoveling food into his mouth as fast as he could.

"Slow down Kendall." His mother said. "You're going to get a tummy ache, or worse; choke."

He rolled his eyes again. "Sorry mom." He whined once more, then took a slower bite.

"That's better." She said with a smile, then sat down and turned to her daughter who was also shoveling food into her mouth. "Katie you slow down too." She took the spoon and helped her eat. "So are you excited for today?" She asked Kendall over her shoulder.

"Mmmhmm!" He hummed with a full mouth. "It's going to be awesome!"

"It'll be Katie's first time playing in the snow." Mrs. Knight stated proudly. "We're going to have lots of fun sledding down the hills aren't we Katie?"

"And I get to skate!" Kendall yelled excitedly.

"Yes and you get to skate." She confirmed with a smile.

Kendall finished his pancakes, then gulped down his milk. "I'm done! Can we go now?"

Mrs. Knight got up and grabbed Katie's empy bowl, Kendall's empty plate and glass and put them in the sink. "Calm down the pond's not going anywhere." She joked, then she took Katie out of her seat. "I have to get Katie ready, we'll leave in about 10 minutes okay?"

"Okay." Kendall sighed and watched as she went into the living room. He was anxious to get to the pond, he wanted to be the first kid there, so that maybe he wouldn't have to share and he could have all the room on the wide, long ice all by himself. He ran to the front closet to grab his jacket, then to the front door and re-shouldered his skates. He tried but failed to get his zipper up, so he went into the living room and watched his mom clothe Katie and bundle her up in a big snow suit.

"Okay." Mrs. Knight said once she was done with Katie, and turned around to see Kendall. Noticing the undone zipper, she motioned him to come over and she zipped him up. "There we are. You ready to go then?"

Kendall beamed and nodded his head frantically. Mrs. Knight smiled and got up to pull her own jacket on. Then she picked Katie up and they walked out the door.

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><p>It was one of the nicer Minnesota winter days, the ones that are perfect for outdoor activities. As Mrs. Knight pushed the stroller that held Katie down the sidewalk, they could see that almost every kid was out having snowball fights and making snowmen. Kendall was beaming as he watched all the kids playing together and having fun. It's times like this that would make him wish he had friends to play with, but he played with his mom and sometimes Katie so it wasn't so bad. Right now all he could think about was getting to the pond and getting to skate. Skating was one of his favorite things to do, because it reminded him of when he went skating with his dad.<p>

His dad would take him out and they would skate for the whole day without realizing it. When they would get home they would be freezing cold, and his mom would make them hot chocolate and his dad would light the fireplace. Then they would all snuggle up together in one big blanket on the couch laughing. That's one of Kendall's best and most favorite memories. When Katie was born, his dad was killed in a car accident on the way to the hospital to see her, so Kendall and his mom don't talk about him much anymore.

They reached the edge of the pond and Kendall started bouncing on his heels. He looked out at the wide pond. The sunlight bouncing off the ice and reflecting off his face made his face light up even more. It was perfect. The only flaw in this scene was that there was one other kid, about the same age as Kendall, on the ice. Kendall wasn't first like he had hoped, and now he had to share the ice. But it was big enough, and the other boy seemed to just stay in the far end anyways so it all worked out. He couldn't hold his excitement anymore and plopped down where he stood and started putting his skates on.

Mrs. Knight took the sled out of the basket underneath the seat of the stroller and placed it on the ground, then unbuckled Katie. She picked her up then turned to Kendall who was sitting on the ground tying his laces. "Do you need any help sweetie?"

"No I'm good." He said simply, then tied the knot and stood up.

"Alright, Katie and I will be on the hill just over there, if you need anything just come and get us okay?"

"Yeah yeah got it. See ya!" He brushed her off as he clicked his helmet on and got on the ice. Mrs. Knight smiled then set Katie down on the sled and pulled it over to the hill.

The ice felt so smooth under his skate. Kendall put one foot on the ice to get a feel for it first, then he stepped on, then he pushed off. He glided across the shimmering frozen water with ease. This was his fourth time skating, but he had an immediate nack for it from day one. He loved skating; how everything turned into a blur as he sped down the ice, how smooth it felt under his feet, everything. It didn't matter that it was -20 weather, it didn't matter that his cheeks were red and his fingers were freezing, it didn't matter that his butt would be sore for a while after he fell every so often, he loved skating, and for an 8-year-old, he was good at it. He could skate in a straight line, he could turn, he could stop, he could even do a figure eight. Granted, they were a little sloppy, but that's more than most 8-year-olds know, that's more than even some 10-year-olds know! He was good at it and he loved doing it.

Kendall skated in a few circles near the end of the pond, did some figure eights, then ventured a little further into the middle, still trying to keep his distance from the other boy. Though as he skated his circles in the middle, he couldn't help but sneak a glance at the other boy. He was skating circles in the far end, like Kendall was. Then the boy stopped at the very edge, turned around, and booked it to the other end so fast that Kendall was stunned as he watched and slipped onto the ground. He had never seen anyone his age skate that fast. He sat there and watched as the boy skated back and forth, from one end to the other, with the speed of. . . .Superman himself!

He shook his head and got up. He figured he shouldn't waste his skating time. He should skate around as much as possible before any other kids took up more of the ice. Kendall skated some more circles and figure eights in the middle, shooting quick glances at the boy and watching him speed around in the small area he had. Then Kendall caught the sight of some more kids at the end of the pond he had been skating at before. Great, he had to share more of the ice.


	2. Chapter 2: The Diamond Diaries

**Author's note: In "Big Time Moms" it is said that James' parents are divorced. My sister said that the tension that leads to divorce can build up all the way from when the kids are really young. So she suggested this. She, being the James fanatic, actually helped me out a lot with James' morning, so I dedicate this to her. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

The Diamond Diaries

"Get out of the bathroom!" She screamed through the door.

"I'm not done yet!" He screamed back.

"It doesn't take 20 minutes to brush your teeth!" She said.

"But mom!" He whined.

"If you're not at the breakfast table in 5 minutes I will break this door down!" She threatened.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine!" He whined, and he heard the footsteps of his mother finally leaving. He turned back to the mirror and combed through his hair one more time, then once he was finally satisfied he set the comb down on the sink. Using both hands, he pointed at his reflection, making guns shapes and clicking with his mouth as he moved his thumbs up and down, then he finally exited the bathroom and went downstairs.

His mom was on her cellphone while cooking breakfast when he entered the kitchen and sat down. She set a plate of eggs and toast in front of him while talking on the phone, then went to the fridge. He watched as she held the phone in the crook of her shoulder while pouring a glass of orange juice, then she set the juice on the table and finally hung the phone up with her free hand. She sighed in frustration as she rubbed a hand over her eyes, then turned to her son and offered him a small smile.

"Well look who finally decided to come out of the bathroom." She joked. "I was worried I'd have to send a search party in there."

"Hey, perfection takes time." The 8-year-old stated simply as he mouthed a fork-full of eggs.

She sat down beside him and smiled, brushing a hand across his face. "Well _you_ don't need that much time honey." She said with pride. That earned a big grin with puffed up cheeks as he smiled with his mouth full, which made her own smile grow.

"Hey Brooke have you seen my comb anywhere?" His dad said as he entered the kitchen.

Mrs. Diamond shot her son a look which caused him to duck his head guiltily. "James." She said sternly.

"Sorry dad." He said in a small voice.

"Aaah that's alright son, I guess we'll just have to get you your own next time we're out won't we?" He said as he sat down at the table. James looked up and beamed, nodding his head.

Mrs. Diamond got up and put a full plate in front of her husband. "Listen, something just came up at work. Do you think you could take care of him for the day?" She asked him.

He rolled his eyes and sighed in agrivation. "I thought this was your day off! I have something to do today!"

"I know I know, and I would take him with me, but remember the last time I took him to work?"

Mr. Diamond looked up thoughtfully, then shivered at the memory. "It took a month to get all of that facial cream out of your office carpet."

"So you see why I can't take him?"

"Well I can't take him! I have that thing. . . . .With a buddy." He said hesitantly.

"What could possibly be so important that you can't take care of your son for one day?" She asked irritated.

James just sat in silence eating his breakfast, as his parents' patience kept wearing thinner and thinner. Unfortunately, he was quite accustomed to his parents fighting. To James, this was just a typical morning.

"Come on, this is really important!" Mr. Diamond pleaded.

"It's always _'really important'_! But you never tell me what it is! Where are you half the time and what are you doing that is so important?"

"It's none of your business!"

"None of my business? I'm your wife! How could you say it's none of my business?" She screamed at her husband.

Their voices kept raising higher and higher. James couldn't take it anymore, he brought his knees up to his chest and covered his ears, trying to block them out. Tears made their way down his cheeks and he squeezed his eyes shut sniffling.

Mr. and Mrs. Diamond finally realized what they were doing, and they turned to find their son crying quietly in his chair. Mr. Diamond let out a heavy sigh. "Alright. I'll take him with me." He said quietly. Mrs. Diamond nodded and watched guiltily as her husband walked over and kneeled down to James. He placed a hand on his knee and James flinched, finally opening his eyes. "Hey buddy, you wanna come to the pond with me?" He asked in a soft voice.

James sniffled, then wiped an arm over his eyes and nodded. Then he fell into his fathers' arms, and his mother came over and kissed him on the forehead. "Why don't you go grab your skates?" She said in a gentle voice.

James nodded and ran off, leaving his parents in the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Diamond shared a guilty look, then Mrs. Diamond got ready for work while Mr. Diamond got ready to take James to the pond.

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><p>James was anxious to get to the pond, and away from the terrible morning. He needed something to distract him, something to help him pretend it never happened. Plus he always loved skating, and he wasn't that bad at it either. He knew how to balance, and steer, and he could last longer then 10 minutes without falling. The only thing he didn't like about skating was the helmet hair. It could take hours, sometimes days, to get his hair to its previous perfection after wearing a helmet for two hours. But for the ice, it was worth it.<p>

When they reached the pond, James noticed two other kids on the ice. He sat down and started putting on his skates, then grabbed his helmet. James grimaced at the infernal head gear. In his opinion, anything that is designed to go on top of the hair should be burned at the stake. . .With the exception of Bandanas. Bandanas are cool. But he supposed it was better to have a little helmet hair then to have brain damage from hitting your head too hard on the ice or something.

He reluctantly clicked it on, when he noticed that his dad seemed to be looking for someone. He was helping James tie his laces quite anxiously, when he seemed to spot someone near the tree behind James and he nodded to them. "You ready to go?" Mr. Diamond asked, almost impatiently. James nodded and his dad helped him up and to the ice. "Alright kiddo, have fun." He said and gave him a light push onto the ice before speedily walking over to the tree. When James looked back he saw his dad talking to a young woman. He had never seen her before, so he figured it was someone from his dad's work.

James shrugged the previously awkward moment off and skated forward. He skated slow at first, then once he was comfortable, picked up his speed. He experimentally started swaying back and forth, turning his skates to the left, then to the right. Then he started turning, making a full circle. He was finally comfortable enough to look up and observe the ice fully. One kid was at the very far end of the pond skating what looked like really fast laps in the tiny space, and another was near the middle skating sloppy figure eights. When James looked behind him he saw another boy getting on the ice with his dad. The big icey pond was getting smaller and smaller with all these people on it.

James looked back down and watched his feet as he skated more circles in his own little area. He wasn't really paying attention to what he was doing and his circles were getting bigger and bigger. Suddenly, 'BAM!' He and the boy in the middle of the pond collided full force into each other and fell flat bottom on the ground.

"Ow! Hey watch where you're going!" James yelled holding his helmet covered head.

"_You_ watch where _you're_ going!" The other boy shot back, in the same position. They glared at each other for a second, but another yell broke their stare and they turned to the source, eyes widening.

"INCOMING!"

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><p><strong>Author's note: Yes, Mr. Diamond is cheating on his wife. But it's canon! You can't blame me! Poor James is all cute and niave. X3<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: La Leyanda de Garcia

**Author's note: I based the title off of "The Legend of Zorro". Get it? 'Cause he's Spanish! *Crickets* Okay moving right along.**

**I gave Carlos an older sister because my sister said that Spanish families usually have more than one kid, (no racism intended) and I didn't want Kendall to be the only one with a sibling. So bare with me.**

**When reading his morning, think of Shrek 2. If you've seen that movie then you'll know exactly which scene I'm talking about. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

La Leyanda de Garcia

(The Legend of Garcia)

He rocked back and forth. *Creak* *Creak* The old chair protested. Back and forth, back and forth. *Creak* *Creak*

"Will you cut that out?" She yelled.

"Heh heh, sorry sis." He said, and ceased his rocking. They sat in silence for a moment. He sister, 11 years old, was on the computer and he was sitting in the chair against the wall, watching her. Then he pushed his lips tight together and, *Pop*. He saw her flinch. *Pop*. She flinched again and he could see the frustration bubbling up. *Pop*.

"Carlos!" She yelled. He sat there quiet. She turned back to the computer and it was quiet again. Then, *Pop*. "Uuuuuugh!" She screamed in frustration. "Papi make him stop!"

Mr. Garcia came into the room then. "Alright what's going on in here?"

"Carlos won't stop bugging me!" She said. Mr. Garcia turned to his son.

"But I'm booooooored!" The 8-year-old whined.

"Why don't you play with your toys?" Mr. Garcia suggested.

"They're boring!" Carlos whined.

"What about some TV?" His dad tried.

"It's boooooring!"

Mr. Garcia sighed, then kneeled down to his son. "Well isn't there something else you could do other than send your sister to the mental hospital for driving her insane?"

Carlos pouted. "She's already insane."

That earned a death glare from his sister. "You want insane? I'll show you insane!" She yelled then charged at him.

But before she got close to him, her dad put an arm out in front of her to stop her. "Alright niños, that's enough." He said. Carlos thrusted his tounge out at her, and she retaliated with another death glare.

"Why don't you take them outside?" Mrs. Garcia said as she came around the corner. "It's a beautiful day."

"Can we got to the pond?" Carlos asked enthusiastically.

"That's a great idea!" Mr. Garcia exclaimed. "What about you Alicia? Wanna come skating?"

"No _thank_ you." His daughter said bitterly, then turned back to the computer.

Mr. Garcia shook his head in disappointment, then turned to Carlos. "More ice for us then right son?"

Carlos grinned, nodding up and down. "Yeah!"

"Alright." Mr. Garcia said as he ruffled his sons' hair. "Hurry up and go get ready, we don't want to miss all the ice!"

"Right!" Carlos said and hurried off.

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><p>Carlos sat on the cold ground putting his skates on as fast as he could, he wanted to spend as much time on the ice with his dad as humanly possible. As a police chief, his dad was always really busy, so, special one on one times like these were very rare. He was always getting called to duty in the middle of it and would have to leave right away.<p>

Mr. Garcia had finished getting his skates on and turned to his son who was sitting on the ground beside him fumbling with the laces. He smiled at the display and moved in front of him to take over. "There."

"Yay!" Carlos said as he bounced up and started wobbling over to the ice.

"Whoa hold up, not so fast 'Litos." His dad said and grabbed his arm. "Aren't you forgetting something?" He plopped Carlos' helmet on his head and clicked it on.

"Oh yeah." Carlos said blushing.

His dad patted his helmet twice and Carlos beamed. "Never forget this alright buddy?" He said.

Carlos nodded. "I promise." He said. His dad nodded back then they both made their way to the ice.

There were three other kids on the ice already, so Carlos would have to be extra careful. This was his third time skating and he still wasn't the best at it, so he would have to try not to bump into anyone. He was good when his dad guided him, holding his hands, but once Mr. Garcia let go, chaos ensued. Carlos would have no control and fly every which way, usually crashing into a snow mound or a tree. But he always got back up laughing so it was all okay in the end.

Mr. Garcia got on the ice first, then held his hands out for Carlos and started guiding him, skating backwards. Carlos watched his feet carefully while gripping his dad's hands tightly. They moved slowly along the ice, cautiously easing Carlos into the gliding movements. He was wobbly, but he continued moving straight with his legs locked in place and gripping his dad's hands. Mr. Garcia pulled him down the ice, then turned once they felt they were too close to another kid.

"That's it son, just nice and easy." Mr. Garcia said. Carlos was trying to gain a little balance on his own. He started moving his own feet with the motion, mimicking his dad. He slowly straightened his back, standing upright. He wobbled some more but caught his balance. Then, slowly, his dad let go and let Carlos glide across the ice.

"I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" Carlos exclaimed. He slid straight down, stiff as a statue.

"You gotta let loose son, be more flex-Watch out!" He stopped when he saw Carlos slide right into a snow bank. He skated over as fast as he could and helped his son up. "Are you alright Carlitos?"

Carlos was currently lost in his laughter. "That was fun!" He yelled. His dad smiled and chuckled at him.

"That's my boy." He said proudly. They got back into their previous positions, Mr. Garcia leading Carlos down the ice. They skated back to the edge where they first arrived, then turned around to face the ice, the big pond and the three other kids ahead of them.

The other kids were all scattered across the ice, leaving little room for Carlos, so he could tell that they weren't together. The very far end was occupied by a boy skating the width of the pond, going back and forth really fast. The middle was taken up by a kid doing long figure eights. And the boy closest to him was skating in little circles, almost like creating an invisible barrier.

Carlos's dad began leading him straight. Carlos gained some balance, and his dad let go again, letting him glide freely forward, leaving his dad at the edge of the pond. He noticed the kid that was closest to him making bigger circles, and right before his eyes, the circle boy and the figure eight boy in the middle collided! Carlos couldn't hold it back, he laughed so hard that he lost his balance, and he was headed straight for the pair of boys sprawled out on the ice.

"INCOMING!" He yelled, and fell right on top of them. There was a moment of silence, then, they all burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. "Ow." Carlos groaned through his laughter as he pushed himself off of the others and into a sitting position on the ice in front of them.

"I second that." The circle boy said as he too positioned himself on the ice to face the other boys.

"Well besides the obvious, is everyone okay?" The figure eight boy asked through his giggles. The others nodded through their own giggles.

"Sorry about that, I'm still learning." Carlos said. "I kinda lost control there for a bit." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"No kidding." Circle boy said sarcastically. He sighed heavily. "I guess, I should've been watching where I was going too. I'm sorry." He said reluctantly to the other boy.

"Right back achya." Figure eight boy said. "I wasn't exactly watching where I was going either. Sorry."

"I'm Carlos! What's your names?" Carlos asked brightly.

"Kendall." Figure eight boy said.

"James." Circle boy said.

"Cool!" Carlos beamed. Then his dad skated over.

"Are you boys alright?" He asked concerned and slightly out of breath from skating so fast to reach them.

The boys nodded, getting up. "Si papi. We're fine." Carlos said. He followed Kendall and James and stood up, pressing a little too hard on his skate and it slipped under him. But before he hit the ground, he felt two pairs of arms shoot out for him, and Kendall and James caught him. "Thanks." He said as they helped him up.

"Hey, no problem." James said and Kendall nodded.

"Papi! This is Kendall and James." He announced as he pointed out his new acquaintances. The boys waved awkwardly with nervous smiles.

"It's very nice to meet you boys. You can call me Mr. Garcia." Mr. Garcia bowed lightly, causing smiles and giggles to break out and any previous awkwardness to wash away.

"Well, since we all have to share the ice anyways, wanna skate together?" Kendall asked.

"Sure!" James shrugged happily.

"Yeah!" Carlos beamed.

They were all about to skate off when Mr. Garcia's phone rang. "Hello? I see. Please hold." He covered the mouth piece and turned to his son. "Think you'll be okay on your own for a bit?"

"Don't worry sir, we'll take care of him." Kendall reassured, already slinging an arm around Carlos' shoulders like they've been friends forever.

Mr. Garcia smiled warmly at the display. "I see my son is in good hands. Have fun boys. I'll be back in a bit." He said. Then he patted Carlos' helmet twice again before he skated off of the ice to take the call.

Carlos beamed as he watched his dad, then turned to his new friends. "Race?" He suggested.

"First one to. . .That tree wins?" James said as he pointed to a tree on the side of the pond near the middle, stopping just before the other boy that was skating at the end.

Kendall skated to it and drew a long line across the ice, then skated back. "You're on!"

The others beamed then took on determined game faces. James mimicked Kendall's "artwork" on the ice where they were standing, marking the start and finish lines. Then they all lined up, Kendall on the right, Carlos in the middle, and James to the left.

"Ready. . ." Kendall started, and they kneeled down on one knee and put their hands out in front of them, track field fashion.

"Set. . ." Carlos said, and they straightened their kneeling leg.

"Go!" James yelled and they were off like the wind, skating straight ahead. They were all neck and neck, then Carlos started to fall behind and it was just Kendall and James. They shot determined looks at each other, then fixed their eyes on their target; the finish line. They reached the line and came to a sudden stop simultaneously and threw their hands up in the air in victory.

"I guess it's a tie." Kendall said once they settled down. James nodded.

"Look out!" Carlos yelled as he sped towards them.

"Carlos stop!" James yelled back.

"I don't know how!" Carlos screamed. James and Kendall had to jump out of the way of the speeding, out of control boy. They got up, shared a worried look, then skated after him.

"Guys! Heeelp!" Carlos screamed. He was going extra fast thanks to the race and he had no control. He wobbled on his straight legs and could only vaguely hear James and Kendall yelling back at him. He looked up and to his dismay, saw that he was headed straight for the other boy on the ice.

"LOOK OUT! AAAAAAAAAAH!"


	4. Chapter 4: Mitchell Archives

**Author's note: Angst. Angst. Angst. Angst. Sorry guys, I have FCMD. But there's nothing I can do about it! Logan is just too adorable when he's all pityful and sad and scared and. . .Gah! Yes, Logan has an abusive father and an uncaring mother. Poor Logie! Okay fangirling done. . .For now. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

Mitchell Archives

Last night wasn't as bad as usual. The bruises were still coming in dark purple under his shirt, and the cuts still stung hard, but there wasn't any broken bones or heavy bleeding anywhere this time. Still, when he pushed himself out of bed, his body ached like crazy. Despite that, he hurried around his room, getting dressed as fast, yet as tenderly as possible, and quickly brushed his teeth.

"Hurry up boy!" The intimidatingly booming voice eched through the house and reached the bathroom in no time at all, practically causing the bathroom mirror to vibrate.

"Yes sir! I'm coming sir!" He shouted. Well, as loud as the timid, scared boy could shout. He rinsed and ran down the stairs where his father and mother awaited him, already fully dressed for the cold weather.

"Get your boots on." The man said, towering over the small boy. He nodded quickly and rushed to get his boots on, than slide on his jacket. His parents then opened the door and he followed them out into the cold snowy weather.

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><p>It was early morning; 8:00 a.m. The sky was grey with the clouds blocking the sun, and it was too early for any kids to be awake on a Saturday. But not for him. He was always awake this early. Especially on days when his parents wanted to go out and have some time together. They could be gone all day sometimes, and they never brought him, but he didn't mind. If anything he was thankful for the days when he would get a break from them shouting at him and his father. . . .But he also loved when he got to come here. This was like his special place; away from the world and his problems. No one ever came here this early, so he got it all to himself.<p>

They reached their destination in no time; the two adults anxious to get to where ever they were going, away from the boy. "Hurry up." The man said, shoving a pair of skates in the boy's face.

The boy immediately sat down and pulled his skates on. He shakily tied the laces and stood up to face his parents. His mother kneeled down and clicked his helmet on.

"T-thank you." He stuttered; from the cold or the fear he didn't know.

She slapped him somewhat lightly. "Now Logan, what did we say about stuttering?" She said gently.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"Now," His father started. "You know the drill. We'll be back in a few hours. Rules."

"Don't talk to anyone. Don't draw attention to myself and don't leave the pond." Logan recited.

Mr. Mitchell smirked. "Good boy." He turned to his wife. "Come now Joanna."

"See you later Logan." She called as they walked off.

He watched them walk down the sidewalk, then he turned and got on the ice. The big empty pond felt so welcoming. He could skate the whole circumference of it without worrying about bothering other people. Logan turned left and right, making circles and lines in the ice. Then he skated over to the very edge, took a deep breath, and sped down the length of the pond to the other side as fast as he could. He stopped, turned around, and did it again. This was his favorite thing to do on the ice; the laps. The speeding so fast down the ice that nothing could catch him. He could leave his world behind in the dust. Escape it; if only for a few hours. The cold winter air bit at his face as he rushed it, but he didn't care. Everything just seemed to fall off his shoulders when he was here, at the pond.

He was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't even notice the lawns and sidewalks slowly fill up with children and their parents. Logan finally noticed the kids playing in the snow; having snowball fights and making snow forts and snow angels. Parents watching their children with love and care in their eyes, always making sure that they were safe and happy. Logan smiled at the show from his spot over on the pond, away from the kids and parents. He longed for friends to play in the snow with like the kids were doing with all of their friends. He longed for the kind and loving parents that watched them with pride and a happy smile. Logan had never known kindness. He had seen it being displayed around him, but never had he been shown the same care and consideration. _'It must be nice to have friends to play with, and people who care about you.'_ He thought.

Again so lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice that another kid was at the edge of the pond with his mom. His mom was carrying a little girl, must've been the boys' little sister. _'I wonder what it's like to have little siblings.'_ He thought. The boy was putting skates on. Logan would have to be careful not to bother him. Logan skated over to the very far side of the pond then. _'I'll just stay on this side. I can't bump into anyone over here, and no one will come and talk to me.'_ He watched as the boy's mom walked away and the boy got on the ice. _'Just keep to myself, just keep to myself.'_ Logan was getting nervous. What if the boy skated over here? What if he talked to Logan? What if he was mean? What if he hurt Logan?

The boy was skating near the far end of the pond where he had first got on. He didn't seem to want to skate closer. Then he skated a small figure eight, and just kept doing that in the middle of the pond, still a far ways away from Logan. He could relax a bit for now. Logan continued to skate mini laps in his side of the pond, sending small glances at the other boy from the corner of his eye, without fully looking at him. He was being weary of him, but deep down, also longing for any sort of contact with other people. He soon realized that he was bordering on actually staring at him. So to avoid drawing any attention to himself, he decided to ignore him, pretend he wasn't there.

Logan kept to himself at the edge of the pond, doing his laps. The boy kept to himself near the middle of the pond, doing circles and little figure eights. A little while passed when another kid got on the pond. The boy in the middle moved a little bit more towards Logan as if to make room for the other boy, causing Logan to become nervous once again. There had never been so many people on the ice when Logan was skating. Of course that could be due to the fact that Logan was always out extremely early, and the fact that it had been minus 30 for the past week, so no parent would dare let their child skate around for 2 hours in that kind of weather, other than Logan's that is. So Logan wasn't used to being around so many people, or having to be so careful not to interact with them.

The new boy had come with his dad, who Logan noticed to be a bit inattentive of the boy. Once the boy was geared up, his dad merely gave him a little shove on the ice and left to talk to someone near a tree. Logan could kind of relate. He felt a pang of sympathy for the boy when he noticed the small disappointment and hurt cross his face. But the boy brushed it off and continued to skate. _'I wish I could be strong like that.'_ Logan thought. To not let those things bother him, and to not want to cry whenever his parents were mean to him. He could maybe, be happy for a little while.

He watched the other boy skate around in circles, then noticed yet another boy get on the ice with his dad. He saw the joy in the boy's face, and thought he saw the same thing in his dad's. _'But that's impossible. Fathers don't like to spend time with their kids. . .Do they?'_ He double-taked, and saw that he was indeed right the first time, the boy's dad was actually having fun with his son. _'He must be the best dad in the world. I wish I had a dad like that.'_ A tear made its way down Logan's cold, flushed cheek, and he looked away. He couldn't watch anymore as these happy kids skated around with their happy lives with happy, nice families. The mere thought hurt. The thought that there was actually a such thing as nice people, as nice friends, as nice parents. As a happy life.

Logan was trying so hard not to cry right then and there. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He decided to just focus on skating. The movements, the technique, the feeling of the ice beneath his skate. It was working. The smooth gliding sensation was calming him down. He became lost in the feeling. He was only vaguely aware of the shouting and laughing around him. But he had lost sense of time. He skated back and forth in his little area, never looking up from the ice. He'd skate to one end, and push off so fast and let himself glide to the other, closing his eyes and letting the feeling envelope him. He wasn't aware of how long it had been since he looked up.

Soon Logan noticed that the shouting was getting closer. Then, a paticularly loud shout urged him to look up. "LOOK OUT! AAAAAAAAAAH!" A boy sped towards him.

Logan acted fast, his reflexes and instincts taking over. He stood his ground, right in the boy's path. As soon as the boy was near, Logan quickly moved to the left and wrapped his left arm around the boy's waist, stopping him immediately. "Are you alright?" Logan asked. He kept his hand around the boy's waist and brought his other to the boy's back to steady him as the boy regained his breath.

"Whoa!" The boy exclaimed through his heavy breathing. "That was amazing! How did you do that?"

Logan blushed and released the boy once he had steadied himself. Then brought a hand to rub the back of his neck nervously. "Um, I don't know. I just did." He shrugged helplessly.

"Carlos!" The two other boys shouted as they skated over. "Are you okay?" The boy that was doing figure eights asked. Logan then realized that he had caught the boy that was with his dad, the happy one.

"Did you guys see that?" The boy, Carlos, said awe-struck. "He caught me!"

"Yeah actually we did." The boy with the other dad said. "That was really cool!" He exclaimed. The figure eight boy nodded in agreement.

Logan blushed harder. "Uh, thanks."

"Thank _you_! I was out of control!" Carlos said.

"Again." The circle boy shot.

Carlos sent him a glare, then turned back to Logan. "You saved my life!" He exclaimed dramatically.

"I don't think you could've died Carlos." Figure eight boy said rolling his eyes.

Carlos brushed him off. "Thanks again."

"You're um, welcome." Logan said nervously. "If you don't mind me saying, you should try bending your knees more. It helps you balance and have more control over where you go." Logan suggested.

Carlos tilted his head and looked at Logan like a curious cat, then bent his knees and skated a little, straight ahead, then turned around. "Hey you're right it works! Look at me! I'm skating!" He skated slowly in a circle around them until he slowed down and stopped in his previous spot. "Wow you're really smart!"

Logan blushed again, then realized what he was doing. _'Oh no, the rules! Stop talking to them!'_ He was screaming to himself. "Uh, I have to go." He said nervously and started to skate away to the other side of the pond.

"Wait!" Carlos said before Logan even moved his second skate. "Wanna skate with us? We just met too." He informed.

"I-" Logan started.

"Yeah but now we're like, best friends." The figure eight boy said. "You can be our best friend too!"

"But-"

"Yeah!" The circle boy said. "We're racing right now. You wanna race?"

"I can't, I-"

"I bet you'd be really good at it!" Figure eight boy said. "I saw you skating, you're really fast! I've never seen anyone that fast!"

_'Stop talking to them! He'll get really mad! Just skate away. Skate to the other side of the pond. Do it now.'_ "I really should-"

"I know, we could be on teams!" Carlos beamed. "You and me against them!"

_'They. . .They want me to play with them? They want me on their team? But I. . .I'm not. . .I'm not cool! Why would they want to play with me?'_

"That's a great idea!" Figure eight boy said. "Whadoya say?" They all leaned in towards Logan, anxiously awaiting his answer.

Logan stood shocked. _'They actually want me to play with them. What if. . .What if he would never know? What if I just played for a little while and stopped when he came back? He'd never know. It'd just be for a little while right? He'd never know.'_ Logan slowly started to nod his head "O. . .Okay."

They all cheered. "Alright!" Figure eight boy said. "Oh I forgot. My name's Kendall." He announced. "This is James. . ." He gestered to circle boy beside him.. James waved. ". . .And this here's Carlos." Carlos sent him an ear-to-ear grin. "What about you?"

"Uh, me?" Logan asked flabbergasted.

"Yeah," James said. "What's your name?"

"Uh, it's, Logan." He said nervously.

"Alright!" Carlos said. "James and Kendall against me and Logan! First one to the other side wins!"

"Wait, I know how we can spice it up a bit." Kendall said schemingly as he raised an eyebrow.

The others leaned in. "We're listening."


	5. Chapter 5: Freeze!

**Author's note: Yes, I added some more Logan angst, and I kinda made Logan a bit of a 'Gary-Stew'. I'm sorry! But that's what I'm about, I bring my favorite characters into the spotlight and make sure they stay there! If you don't like it stop reading now, 'cause that's all I'm gonna do. Logan Logan Logan it's all about Logan. Sorry. I'm also sorry if they sound a bit too smart to be 8 year-olds too. ^^;**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Freeze!

The four boys stood near one end of the frozen pond getting ready to have a little race.

"I know how we can spice it up a bit." Kendall said schemingly as he raised an eyebrow.

The others leaned in. "We're listening." James said inquiringly.

"Well, since we have teams, I suggest we do it like the track field people do on TV."

"Aaaah." James said in understanding and he and Logan nodded.

"But what does that mean?" Carlos asked confused.

"It means," Logan started. "A person from each team will stand in the middle of the pond. The others will go to the end and will race to tag their partner, then the partner will continue to the other side. Get it now?"

"Oh I see! Yeah that's a great idea Kendall!"

"Right then." Kendall said. They all skated to the end of the pond and discussed who should be where. In the end, Logan and James were chosen to wait in the middle. "Alright! To your positions!" Kendall annouced and he and Carlos spread out and got into starting positions while James and Logan skated to the middle and stood ready.

"Ready. . ." Kendall started and he and Carlos kneeled down.

"Set. . ." Carlos said, and they straightened with their hands on the ground.

"Go!" James and Logan shouted at them and they sped off.

They were neck in neck, then, like last time, Carlos started to fall behind. He started to wobble, he was loosing his balance. _'Bend your knees.'_ He remembered Logan's previous advice. Carlos bent his knees and regained his balance. He smiled, proud of himself. Then he realized that he was still far behind and Kendall had just high-fived James and now James was on his way to the end of the pond. Carlos focused on his goal. He pushed off with his skates and kept his knees bent. He was skating so fast, he was almost lost in the feeling. He had never skated so fast before without falling down. He soon realized that he didn't know how to stop. Once he would reach Logan he wouldn't know how to stop in time. He started to panic.

* * *

><p>Logan watched Carlos skate towards him. He noticed Carlos almost loose his balance, but he seemed to remember what Logan had told him and he bent his knees before he fell. He saw the determination in Carlos' eyes when he noticed that James was already on his way to the finish line, and he saw the rush of panic when he neared Logan. He also knew why Carlos was panicking. Once Carlos reached him, instead of high-fiving the way Kendall and James did, Logan caught him the same way as before, and steadied him. Carlos nodded signaling that he was steady and Logan nodded in response before taking off to catch up with James.<p>

* * *

><p>James was so happy. Kendall had tagged him first and he got a head start to the finish line. He raced down the ice as fast as he could. There was no way Logan could catch up with him now. He chanced a glance back and noticed that Carlos had only just reached Logan and Logan was helping him stay upright. James smiled, Logan hadn't even taken off yet. He turned and continued on his goal. He saw the edge of the pond getting closer, he was almost there.<p>

As he was about to reach the edge, a gust of wind passed him. He stopped at the edge and looked over to find Logan beside him with his hands on his legs, panting incredibly hard. James' eyes widened. _'Wasn't he just. . .'_ James looked back to where Carlos was standing, cheering his head off. Then he looked to where Kendall was, who was just staring at Logan. He was just as shocked as James was. James shook himself of the shock and skated over to the panting boy, then extended his hand. "Nice race." He said with a smile.

Logan looked up and grabbed his hand, shaking it good sportingly. "You too." He said through his panting.

"Woooooo!" Carlos shouted as he skated over, and he slung an arm around Logan.

"It's a tie! That was awesome!" Kendall said as he skated over.

"I thought for sure you wouldn't be able to catch up with me. That was crazy!" James said.

Logan blushed, then turned to Carlos. "Hey and Carlos didn't fall." He smiled, trying to take the attention off of himself while still being proud of his friend. "That was really good skating Carlos."

Carlos grinned wildly. "Thanks. I _almost_ fell, but then I remembered what you told me Logan, and I got my balance back! I'm just glad you caught me in time, I still don't know how to stop. Thanks for that."

"Hey anytime." Logan said patting Carlos on the back. "As for the stopping part, just try turning your skates sideways and pushing on the ice." He demonstrated and Carlos nodded with a smile.

"Hey Carlitos!" Another voice called from off of the pond.

"Papi! Did you see?" Carlos called to him.

"Yeah I did! You were amazing son! I'm so proud of you!" Mr. Garcia made it over to where the boys were standing at the edge of the pond.

Carlos skated closer to his dad. "Papi! This is Logan! He's our new friend too!" He announced brightly. "He taught me how to keep my balance and kept me from falling down twice!"

"My my, it seems I owe you big time! I'm Carlos' dad, you may call me Mr. Garcia." Mr. Garcia said with a warm smile.

Logan froze and stared at the tall man in front of him. He started to shake and his breathing became shallow. He had never met a nice adult before. He had never met _any_ adults before other than his parents and his uncle. All of whom were definitely not nice people. Therefore, his brain was telling him at that moment, that there were no nice adults, that this man was mean, like the others he'd encountered. All observations he had made of this man when he and Carlos first arrived were forgotten, and he was scared of him. His instinct, his previous experience was telling him that no good came out of talking to adults. His face paled.

"Logan? Are you okay?" Kendall asked.

"Logan what's wrong?" James asked.

"Logan?" Carlos asked. Logan just stared at Mr. Garcia, frozen.

"It's okay Logan. I'm not gonna hurt you." Mr. Garcia said. He tentatively extended his hand. Logan stared at it. "You can trust me."

Logan looked at Mr. Garcia, then at his hand. Could he really trust him? He seemed nice enough. Logan shot a look at Carlos, who then nodded with a smile, easing Logan's doubt a bit. Logan slowly took Mr. Garcia's hand and shook it. Mr. Garcia smiled a warm smile which eased Logan's fear and doubt even more. "There." He said and he released Logan's hand. "Now then, what do ya boys say to a game of Freeze Tag?" The boys cheered.

"Yeah!" Carlos yelled. "I 2 3. . ."

"Not it!" The boys all yelled in unison. Mr. Garcia rolled his head and groaned in fake annoyance.

"5 second head start!" James yelled and they all skated off in every direction.

"Uno. . ." Mr. Garcia yelled. The boys laughed and skated frantically. "5!" And he rushed in.

"Hey that's cheating!" Carlos yelled through his giggles.

Mr. Garcia rushed for the closest boy to him, in this case James. "I'm coming for you James!"

"Noooooo!" James screamed through his laughter.

Then in a flash, Mr. Garcia had tagged him. "Freeze!" He said as he skated by.

James stopped in his spot and out-stretched his arms. "Guys help!"

"I'm comin' James!" Kendall yelled and waited for Mr. Garcia to skate away from James. Unfortunately, Mr. Garcia set sights on him next.

"You're next Kendall!" Mr. Garcia yelled and rushed. Kendall screamed and laughed as he skated as fast as he could away from Mr. Garcia.

Carlos watched as his dad went after Kendall, and waited for his opportunity to go for James. His dad was facing the other way, so he bolted towards James. But he wasn't counting on Kendall skating past him with Mr. Garcia on his tail, and he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. "Freeze Carlos." His dad said as he passed by, still in hot pursuit of Kendall.

"Sorry Carlos!" Kendall yelled back.

Carlos then realized that he had to stop. Panic flashed through his body, but was soon extinguished when he remembered what Logan told him. He turned his skates sideways and pushed downward, slowing to a stop just a small ways from James. "I did it!" He exclaimed.

"Great job." James said. "But now we're _both_ frozen!" He said, frustrated.

"Oh right." Carlos said and out-stretched his arms.

Mr. Garcia was still after Kendall, so this was Logan's chance. He sped down the ice. He ducked under James' arms, then Carlos'. "Thanks." They said, and they scattered again.

"Hey! Mr. Garcia!" James taunted, waving his arms around.

"Papi! Over here!" Carlos mimicked James.

He stopped his chase for Kendall and looked over to them. "How did you two get out?" He said, the boys all laughed.

"Ya can't catch me!" Carlos yelled and he skated off while James skated in the other direction.

Mr. Garcia went after Carlos this time. "I'm gonna get you Carlos!"

Carlos screamed. "Aaaaaaah! No!" He said through laughter. They were heading towards a tree near the end, the same tree that was the finish line in his race with James and Kendall. He rushed for it, skating as fast as he could. Then he touched it. "Home base!" He cried.

"Ay." Mr. Garcia said in disappointment. He smiled at his son then skated off after someone else. He set sights on James. "I see you James!"

"Ah!" James let out a high-pitched scream, and skated in the other direction. They made a full circle before skating the other way. James skated his hardest, trying not to be tagged by Mr. Garcia. He reached the tree. "Home!" He shouted victoriously and he and Carlos high-fived.

Logan and Kendall stood together at the other side of the pond, when they noticed James hit base. "Get ready Logie." Kendall said.

Logan was slightly taken aback, he had never been called that before. He didn't have time to think about it though, because James and Carlos were at base, and Mr. Garcia had set sights on them. They skated together to face him, and Mr. Garcia skated in front of them and waited. They all stood there and eyed each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Then Logan leaned over to Kendall subtly. "Wait for him to turn around." He whispered, then bolted to the left.

Kendall stood there confused for a minute, then saw that Logan's move had caught Mr. Garcia's attention and he was going after him now. Kendall then understood and as soon as Mr. Garcia left his spot to go after Logan, he rushed for the tree. "Home!" He yelled, causing Mr. Garcia to stop and look over to see Kendall.

Mr. Garcia looked back at Logan who he had cornered at the other side of the pond. "Clever." He said. "You distracted me from Kendall. But now it's just you, and you've got no one to distract me." Mr. Garcia got ready for any move he would make. "I'm afraid it's over Logan."

Logan looked around, then looked at Mr. Garcia. They were both determined, and neither of them was going to give up. They were both good at skating and they were both speed demons. But Logan noticed a difference that he could use to his advantage. He got ready, then rushed Mr. Garcia straight on.

Mr. Garcia was shocked, he definitely wasn't expecting that. But he stayed his ground and readied himself to catch Logan.

Kendall, James and Carlos stood at the tree just as shocked. Logan was skating straight for Mr. Garcia. "Is he crazy?" James said.

"Does he _want_ to lose?" Carlos said.

Logan rushed. He was so close to Mr. Garcia now. He was alert. Then, the second Mr. Garcia went to grab him, he fell to his knees and his small body slid right through Mr. Garcia's legs, then he jumped up and rushed for the tree.

Kendall, James and Carlos stood with dropped jaws. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Logan was rushing for them now and they shook themselves from the awe to cheer him on.

"Come on Logan!" Carlos yelled.

"You're almost there!" James yelled.

"You can do it!" Kendall yelled.

Mr. Garcia was shocked, but soon recovered and chased after Logan.

Logan pushed on towards his cheering friends and home base. He reached out, and landed a hand on it. "Home!" Kendall, James and Carlos yelled, as he touched the tree, then they cheered as Logan leaned on the tree to catch his breath.

"We win!" Kendall yelled as Mr. Garcia skated over, panting just as hard as Logan was.

"Well played young man." Mr. Garcia said to Logan through his panting.

"Yeah that was awesome!" Carlos exclaimed.

"You're crazy!" James said with a smile.

"That really was amazing!" Kendall said.

Logan blushed. Once he finally caught his breath, he pushed himself off the tree and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Thanks."

"So what now?" James asked. They all stood quiet for a moment.

"Rematch?" Mr. Garcia suggested.

They all cheered, and scattered across the ice away from Mr. Garcia as fast as they could. Mr. Garcia smiled, then set off after them.

**Author's note: This is one of my favorites, I find it soooooooo cute! I love Mr. Garcia! ^^**


	6. Chapter 6: One is Good, but Four is Bett

**Author's note: I'm a little confused as to what the word "Bromance" actually means. I've seen people use it for brotherly lovey friendship, actual Brother-love, and just plain slash. I like to use it as the first one. Bromance (as in brotherly friendship) all around in this last chapter. :) Again, sorry if they sound too mature to be 8 year-olds.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

One is Good, but Four is Better

Mrs. Knight looked at her watch. '12:30 p.m.' Lunch time. She picked Katie up and dragged the sled over to the pond. She searched the wide ice and smiled when she saw her son playing with the other kids and a man. "Kendall!" She called.

* * *

><p>Mr. Diamond was talking to a young woman near a tree by the street, well away from the pond where his son was playing at. "What time is it?" She asked.<p>

He looked at his watch. "12:30."

"I should go." She said. "See you tomorrow Ryan." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, then walked away.

Mr. Diamond watched her walk away, then turned and went back to the ice. "James!"

* * *

><p>"Stand still!" Mr. Garcia yelled.<p>

"But then you'd catch us!" James yelled back.

"Exactly!" Mr. Garcia exclaimed.

"You can't win Mr. Garcia!" Kendall screamed.

"Yeah! We're unstoppable!" Carlos cheered.

"Yeah!" Logan cheered.

"How is this fair? It's four against one!" Mr. Garcia 'complained' through his giggles.

"'Cause you're bigger than us!" Kendall said.

"Ya can't catch me Mr. Garcia!" James cried as Mr. Garcia chased after him.

"Come 'ere you!" Mr. Garcia cried.

"Run!" Carlos yelled.

"I think you mean 'skate'." Kendall said.

"James over here!" Logan called.

Two other voices stopped the game of Freeze Tag in its tracks. "Kendall!"

"James!"

They all turned to the sources. "What is it mom?" Kendall called.

"Dad? What's up?" James called.

Both boys skated to their parents while Carlos, his dad and Logan waited.

* * *

><p>"It's lunch time Kendall, we have to go now." Mrs. Knight informed as she shifted Katie in her arms. "Besides, Katie's getting cold."<p>

"Aaaaaaw but moooooom!" Kendall whined. "I don't wanna go!"

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Well. . .Yeah, but I can wait! I'm playing!"

"I see that. You made some new friends?"

"Yeah James, Carlos and Logan are my best friends now!" He beamed. His face light up with an idea.

* * *

><p>"It's time to go now son." Mr. Diamond said.<p>

"Aaaaw do we have to? I'm having fun!" James whined. "I made new friends!"

"That's nice son, but it's lunch now. Your mom will kill me if I don't feed you."

"Excuse me." Mrs. Knight cut in. "Hi. My name is Jennifer Knight. This is my son, Kendall." She held Kendall's shoulder with one hand while holding a now sleeping Katie with her other. "It seems our boys here made good friends."

Kendall and James beamed. "It seems so." Mr. Diamond said observing his son.

"Well what do you say to lunch? You and James can come over and I'll make us all some sandwiches. Then the boys can spend some more time together."

* * *

><p>Carlos, his dad and Logan watched and waited for Kendall and James to come back. They were close enough to see their reactions to whatever their parents were saying, but not close enough to hear what was being said. Both Kendall and James slumped their shoulders in whines, then Kendall jumped up and down and he and his mom went over to James and his dad. Then Kendall's mom started talking to James' dad. Then both Kendall and James jumped up and down, and pointed to Mr. Garcia and the boys over on the ice. Now Kendall was skating over. "Mr. Garcia, my mom wants to talk to you." He said.<p>

Mr. Garcia nodded and he and the boys skated over to Mrs. Knight. "Mr. Garcia, is it?" She asked.

Mr. Garcia nodded. "Si, that's right."

"I'm Jennifer Knight. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said as she delicately shifted sleeping Katie in her arms.

"Likewise." He smiled.

"Well Mr. Diamond and James here are gonna come over for lunch. Would you and your son like to join us?"

Upon hearing this, Carlos lit up. "Can we Papi?" He asked eagerly.

"I don't see why not. Gracias!" Mr. Garcia said.

"De nada. It's no trouble really." Mrs. Knight smiled.

Mr. Garcia pulled out his cellphone then looked to Carlos. "I'll called your mother and tell her what's going on so she won't worry."

Mr. Diamond looked to James. "I should probably do the same." He grabbed his cellphone.

"Yaaay!" Carlos, James and Kendall cried and jumped up and down. Their parents laughed.

"Wait," Kendall stopped. "What about Logan?" Everyone turned to Logan who was on the ice just behind Mr. Garcia.

"Where are your parents dear?" Mrs. Knight asked gently.

Logan's breathing accelerated. He had totally forgotten about his parents. He forgot about his plan to only play for a little while. He forgot about the _rules_. He looked at Mrs. Knight, then to Mr. Garcia, then to the boys. "I. . .I. . ."

"Logan!" a voice called.

_'Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no! He's seen me. He knows. No no no no!'_ "I-I have to go." Logan got off the ice and walked over to his parents.

Mrs. Knight watched Logan walk over to a couple. "Boys, why don't you go take your skates off."

"But what about Logan?" Kendall asked.

"I'll go ask. But don't get your hopes up alright?"

"Okay." He said glumly.

Mrs. Knight laid Katie carefully down on the sled. "Watch your sister." She said and walked off towards Logan's parents.

Kendall carefully pulled the sled closer beside him and he and the boys sat down in a circle and started pulling their skates off.

"Hey dad?" James said as he was untying his laces. His dad came around and kneeled down beside him. "Who was that girl you were talking to? I've never seen her before."

"No one son. Now hurry up and get your skates off, we don't want to miss lunch." He joked as he patted his son's helmet. He stood up and started to walk away, but stopped. "Hey James, do me a favor? Don't tell your mom about it alright?"

"Why?"

"No reason, just, don't okay?" He said gently.

"Okay." James shrugged.

* * *

><p>"Were you talking to them?" His father said with restrained anger.<p>

"I'm s-sorry." Logan whimpered.

"You know the rules!" His father said. "Take your skates off. We'll deal with this when we get home."

"Y-yes sir." Logan stuttered, then sat down and started untying his laces.

"Pardon me," Mrs. Knight walked up. "Hi. My name is Jennifer Knight."

Logan's father composed himself, and he and his wife slapped on fake smiles. "Hi there. I'm Greggory Mitchell. Greg for short. This is my wife Joanna." She waved.

"A pleasure." Mrs. Knight nodded to them. "Our boys seemed to get along quite well. I was wondering if you three would like to join us for lunch." She said brightly.

"Oh." Mrs. Mitchell started. "Well, you see, we kind of have, a thing to do. At home."

"Come now. Have lunch with us. I'm sure it'll mean a lot to your son." Mrs. Knight urged.

"I'm sure it would." Mr. Mitchell said bitterly and shot a look to Logan, who then ducked his head.

"I'm making sandwiches. What harm could a few free sandwiches do?" Mrs. Knight said gently.

"It sounds very nice, bu-" Mr. Mitchell tried, but was cut off.

"The boys could play, and we could get to know each other a little better. Come on, a free meal and good company never hurt anyone!" Mrs. Knight pushed brightly.

"Really, we should-" Mrs. Mitchell tried.

"I won't take no for an answer." Ms. Knight argued good-heartedly.

Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell shared a look. "Well. . ." Mrs. Mitchell started.

"Why don't you take him dear? I don't think we'd be able to leave otherwise." Mr. Mitchell joked. "I'll go home and prepare for your return." He shot a glance at Logan who whimpered quietly, he knew what that meant. Mr. Mitchell turned back to his wife. "Go, have some fun, make friends. I'll be waiting when you get back."

"Alright." Mrs. Mitchell said. She planted a kiss on her husbands lips. "Thank you dear." She turned to Logan who had just finished pulling his boots on. "Come on Logan. We're going to the Knights' house for lunch." Her voice startled him and he jumped slightly before getting up and nodding his head.

"Excellent!" Mrs. Knight exclaimed.

* * *

><p>"This is delicioso!" Carlos exclaimed.<p>

"It's really good!" James said.

"So great mom!" Kendall said.

"Si si, muy bien!" Mr. Garcia said. Mr. Diamond, Mrs. Mitchell and Logan nodded their heads with 'Mm-hmm's due to their mouths being full of grilled-cheese sandwich.

"Gracias, thank you!" Mrs. Knight said. "You're all too kind. But please remember to keep your voices down. Katie is still sleeping. All that sledding really tuckered her out." She said with a smile. She got a chorus of hushed 'sorry's in response.

Logan finshed his sandwich and grabbed another one from the full plate in the middle of the table, quickly stuffing his face. "Wow Logan," James said. "That's your third one. You must be hungry."

"Yeah," Kendall said. "It's almost like you didn't eat breakfast or something." He joked.

Logan stopped and looked up to see everyone was staring at him. He blushed, and his mother sent him a pointed look. "Sorry." He said and ducked his head.

"Oh no sweetie." Mrs. Knight said gently. "Don't be sorry. Please, eat as much as you can! There's plenty of food and I'm sure you worked up quite the appetite while you were playing."

"No kiddin'." Mr. Garcia said. "Those boys worked me to the bone! They would make great hockey players. Their great on the ice and their teamwork with each other is nothing short of amazing. It's like they read each other's minds!" The boys all giggled.

Everyone finished eating. "Well now," Mrs. Knight said as she put the last plate in the sink. "Who's up for some hot chocolate?"

"Me!" The four boys and Mr. Garcia cried.

"I could go for some hot chocolate!" Mrs. Mitchell said.

"I like hot chocolate." Mr. Diamond said.

"9 hot chocolates coming right up!" Mrs. Knight said.

* * *

><p>"This is nice." James said. He sipped his hot chocolate and brought the blanket more over his shoulder.<p>

"It's like on TV." Carlos said. "When the whole family would get together and just snuggle up in front of the fireplace with hot choco." He snuggled further down into the blanket beside James.

"But our parents are in the kitchen. And none of us are related." James argued.

"I know, but it _feels_ like family." Carlos said.

"I used to do this with my dad." Kendall said solemnly. He sat beside Carlos. "Before Katie was born. Me and mom and dad would go skating together. Then we'd come home and he'd light that fireplace and we'd all share this blanket and drink hot choco." He brought the blanket closer over his shoulders and sniffled.

"Your dad sounds nice." Logan said. He sipped his hot chocolate then set it down on the coffee table in front of them and laid his head on the back of the couch, beside Kendall.

"Yeah." James said.

"Dad died in a car crash when Katie was born." Kendall said, a small tear making its way down his cheek. "Sometimes, when I'm on the ice, I like to pretend he's still skating with me. Like he never died."

"Then he really didn't die." Logan said.

"What?" Kendall asked.

"If you still remember him, and you keep his memory with you, then he's not dead. He still lives with you." Logan explained.

"That doesn't make any sense." Carlos said.

"Sure it does!" Logan argued.

"Not really." James said.

"Yeah, it does." Kendall said. He smiled. "Thanks Logie."

Logan smiled back and nodded. "Anytime."

Kendall let out a sigh. "I still wish he didn't die though. I miss him."

"But hey, better to have had a nice dad that died than to have one that's alive and mean to you right?" Logan asked.

"That's true. I feel sorry for kids who have mean dads." James said. "My dad may not pay attention to me sometimes, but he's still nice to me, and I'd be sad if he died."

"My dad is the best!" Carlos said. "He's nice to everyone!"

"Yeah Carlos, your dad is awesome." Kendall said. "And you're right Logan. Thanks again." Everyone smiled and laid back on the couch watching the fire and just enjoying each other's company.

"This is nice." James said.

* * *

><p>It got really late, so everyone agreed that the boys should sleep over at the Knight's house. The parents exchanged phone numbers and addresses, then left. Mrs. Knight had set up three beds made out of piled up blankets on the floor in Kendall's room and now she was sleeping with Katie.<p>

"Logan why are you still awake?" He whispered. He had noticed the boys' frequent tossing and turning. He propped himself up on his elbow and stared at his friend, the room lit only by the moonlight coming in through the window.

"I could ask you the same thing James." He whispered back.

"I asked you first!" He shot back in a hushed voice. Silence filled the room. "Logan?" James asked when he didn't get a response.

"I'm scared to go to sleep." Logan said quietly.

"Why? There are no monsters here. And even if there were, we're all here to protect you."

"No, not of monsters James. I'm scared that. . ." He trailed off.

"That this is all a dream?" James finished. "That you'll wake up and it'll all be gone?"

Logan looked over at James then slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"I know what you mean." James said. "It's like. . ."

"Like it's too good to be true." Kendall leaned over his bed to look at Logan and James on the floor. They both looked at him and slowly nodded.

They all fully sat up then. "It's just. . ." Logan started. "I've never had friends before. What if I'm just dreaming all of this because I want it so bad?"

"Well then I'm having the same dream." Carlos sat up.

They all smiled. "Yeah me too." James said.

"Hey get out of my dreams!" Kendall said, and they all burst out into laughter a little too loudly. They quickly hushed themselves and listened for any sign that they might have woken Mrs. Knight. Luckily they heard nothing and continued to snicker quietly.

"Still," Kendall said once they all settled down. "I hope this isn't a dream. You guys are like my best friends."

"But more than that." James said. "Almost like. . ."

"Like brothers." Carlos said. He got up and sat on Kendall's bed, then James and Logan followed.

"Yeah." Kendall said. He put his hand out palm down. "Brothers."

Carlos laid his hand on Kendall's. "Brothers."

James put his hand in. "Brothers."

Logan put his hand in. "Brothers."

* * *

><p>Mrs. Knight came in the next morning to find not one, but four boys snuggled together in Kendall's bed, sleeping soundly.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: Thanks y'all for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and if not, well I'm sorry, it's the best I can do. ^^;<strong>


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